In the face of GOP opposition, the EPA on Monday declared greenhouse gases a danger to public health in a move that could pave the way for future regulation.
The administration also waved off concerns about the controversy surrounding leaked e-mails at a British climate research center, with the U.S. envoy to the international climate change conference in Copenhagen dismissing the flap as a "small blip."
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said in a written statement that the finding, which declares carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases a threat to public health, marks the start of a U.S. campaign to tackle greenhouse gas emissions
This is no empty and meaningless declaration. The Obama administration, from the beginning of the cap and trade debate, has used the threat of the EPA as a sort of legislative blackmail hanging over legislators.
In fact, the regulatory power that the EPA could wield could be significantly more significant, draconian, and damaging to our economy than any cap and trade bill, let alone the current watered down one.
In fact, by declaring it a "public health threat", the EPA has just fired a shot across the bow. They will act in curbing greenhouse gases if Congress doesn't. The EPA has significant leverage and leeway to regulate greenhouse gases in a way that could give it more scope than any bill.
So, the EPA is prepared to act if our legislature does not. Rather than cap and trade, we'll simply have a series of draconian regulations that will halt the production of most energy sources that rely on carbon dioxide. The EPA has made it clear. They are ready and willing to throw their weight around if the Congress fails to act.
3 comments:
My recommendation?
Retrofit the capitol building so that NO CO2 is present at any time.
Guess what would happen then?
It is about time that excess levels of C02 and other greenhouse gases were regulated to sustainable levels to attempt to limit global warming and the environmental damage that it is causing. It is important to keep in mind that the atmosphere works optimally with certain concentrations of these gases and when the percentages are put out of whack, the well being of the ecosystem that we depend on is affected and the dollar costs of this can be very high.
While there will be pain to begin with, as there is with any change, the regulation will force industry to become more efficient and this will have competitive benefits into the future as it spurs new innovation and products that the US can sell abroad as it develops its expertise.
I'm sick of the general idiocy everyone displays about the Climate Change issue. The theory of catastrophic Global Warming is based on junk science. It is conveniently blamed on humans and generalized in explanation to the point it is not even close to science.
I hope someone sues the E.P.A. over this crap. I'll sign on for that.
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